Anode holder



ANODE HOLDER Filed March 11,1926 *.gshee'ts-sheet 1 FIG. I

FIG. ZZZ' FIG. IZ'

lnveu'nn M142 ATTORNEY '.Sept. 7 1926.

C. H. PROCTOR 'ANoDE HOLD-ER Filed March 11, 1926 2 Shee'ts-Sheet 2 FIG.I

INVENTGK Paieqieasepi. v7, 192e.

UNITED STATES rATENT oFFici-z.

cuantas may raoc'ron, or mineros, Naw sans, Assieivoa '.ro 'rn-n-aonssnna H ASSLACHER CHEMICAL C0., OF NEW YORK, N. Yl., COBPOBATIQN QFNEW YORK.

Nomi minnen.'j f

Application led meh 11, 192B. Serial No.. 93,4857.

The ob'ect of this invention is to provide a holder or soluble anodeswhereby a means is provided for maintainin a; substantially constant'anode surface. uch an anode should in addition be easily handled andreplenished.

The -invention in its general as ect concerns the provision 'of an anodeolder in the form of a box, into which, anode bars 1o can-be readilyplaced as those already in the holder. become plated away'. This abilitymakes it possible to maintain a substantially constant anode `surface inthe holder without `removing the holder from the bath and withoutparticular effort and loss oftime.

The box is preferably one of greater width than thickness with one facesubstantially open exce t for retaining Han es and an open to into whichthe anode ars can be 2o droppe or slipped to slide o f themselves downon top of those alreadyl in the box. This structure alsoenablesinsoluble as well as soluble anode bars to be dropped into theholderto regulate the ratio between the soluble and insoluble anodesurface.

My invention will be ex lained in connection with the attached' rawings.The holder comprises preferably a narrow rectangular box 1, Figure I andII having a panel in one of its wide faces removed in vsuch a way as toleave projecting retaining Iiianges 2 extending inward. The top of thisbox -is completely removed and a hook 3, Figure III formed at the top toprovide a means for fastening to a bus bar. The bottom 4 is left intact.This box is constructed of any material which is practically insolubleunder the influence of the plating current in the particular bath forwhich it is intended; it ma be of lead, phite, steel,

etc. as require are 4now prepared of such a size that they can beinserted in the top of the box and will slide down to the bottom; thesebars 5,

preferably cylindrical, are then piled one on the other in the box. Theyare retained in the box as shown in Figure I by the projecting flan 2. Iprefer to have these soluble ano e bars of such, dimension that thecompositeanode will be only one cylinder in thickness but there is noobjection to having several thicknesses. In fact, this actually occursin operation. As the anodes are plated out, thel'cylinders becomesmaller u and settle to the bottom of the box, here the The solub eanode barsl cylinders may be so small that several will now occupy t espace which would be taken' by an original piece. L

The advantages of my anode holder are thus apparent. As the material isremovedv from the anodes, the bars slide down in the box as stated,fresh bars ca ii thenbe inserted at the top of the box to maintain veryclosely the desired calculated anode surface.

With some anodes of this type the bars', as they nea-r the bottom tendtobreak into pieces. To avoid having these ieces' drop to the bottom ofthe plating tan -I provide a front face of wire screen on the lower endof the box. This screen in'some cases may advantageously cover the wholeof the open face of the box.

At times it is advisable to have an anode wherein a larger ratio ofinsoluble to soluble anode surface is obtained. For this purpose Iinsert a suitable blank of insoluble mafl terial, such as therectangular frame 6, Fig. V into the box. This blank maybe of anyvdesired size and may be placed in the box whereverpractice shows it tobe best suited. Thus, for example, a large blank 6, ma be laced in thebottom of the slide as in Vig. V. However, some soluble anode bars mayirst be inserted then the blank and then more of the soluble bars.Another application is alternate bars of soluble anodes and insolublematerial.

In order to provide for circulation aroundl the anode I have found itadvanta eous to erforate or cut out holes in the wi e closed ace vorback of-the box as shown at 7 in Fig. IV. These holes may be of any sizeor shape. ,y

The boxes and insoluble blanks ma `,A for example, be made of steel foruse in'al aline baths -in the plating of zinc, cadmium and the like. Ihave found that this type of anode is adaptable to any platiilig processeither in still or drum plating. or drum plating or 100 other specialcases the anode-holders are conveniently curved .from top to bottom soas' to follow the contour of the drum. The" insertion of the solubleportions is accom,

plished as before. The bus barsV orv otherl i supporting means vare ofcourse variedto suit the particular need and properly 'hold .the anodein place.

Whatv I claim is:

1. An anode holder which comprises a 11 box for holding a plurality ofanode bars, said box having a substantially open face,

and an open to permitting new bars to be Y readily drop into the box asthose therein are plated away.

2. An anode which comprises a box having substantiallyclosed sides,back, and bottom, and an open front face, guide ilanges along thesubstantially open front face and la plurality of anode bars slidabldisposed in said box, new bars adapted to readily inserted through the on'top of the box and to slide down into p ace as those in the box areplated away.

3. An anode holder which comprises a box for holding a plurality ofsoluble and insoluble anode bars, said box having a substantially openface, and an open top permitting the selective andready insertion of newbars into the box as those therein are plated away.

- bath used.

5. Anode for alkaline plating baths comprisin? a plurality of solubleanode bars slidab arranged in contact with one another in an open facesteel box whose thickness is approximately that of the diameter of saidanode bars.

6. Anode for alkaline plating baths comprising 4a plurality ofcylindrical soluble anode bars slidably arranged in contact with oneanother in an o en face steel box whose thickness is approximately thatof the diameter of said cylindrical anode bars.

Signed at Perth 'Amboy in the county of Middlesex and State of NewJersey this 5th day of March A. D. 1926.

CHARLES HENRY PROCTOR.

